Peter

"Where is Katherine?"

The middle-age man looks up from his work. After I left, I went back to asking people about her but I couldn't shake the feeling that this man knew something. I woke up this morning determined to come back and get the truth out of him.

"What are you doing here?" He narrows his eyes. "I told you to leave and not come back."

"Tell where she is."

He stands up and rounds the counter. I look up at him when he stops right in front of me. His gray eyes are burning a hole in mine and without thinking, I grab his shirt collar.

"Where. Is. She?" I never lose my patience but he is mocking me and I have had enough of it.

He stares at me, taken aback by my action and then laughs. My hands lose their grip on his shirt and I drop them to my sides.

"You have got a lot of courage." He smirks. "I would have liked to see you punch me."

"I'm not going to punch you, unless you tell me where Katherine is."

He contemplates my words for some minutes. "Alright."

He closes and locks the door, suspending his work for a while. He montions for me to follow him into a back door. I follow him, unquestionably, into a small but cozy cookroom. He closes the door behind me and tells me to have a seat. I sit right in front of him, the table separating us, and wait for what he has to say. He only keeps his eyes on me and I'm slowly losing my patience again.

"I don't have time for games."

"It's not everyday I'm blessed with the presence of royalty in my house." He says, sarcastically.

"What?"

"You can't fool me, young man." He scoffs. "I know who you are."

"And so you must know my real purposes here."

"I have an idea." He crosses his arms.

Should I tell him the truth? It would be easier to find out about Katherine's whereabouts.

"I volunteered as the queen's new assassin."

"Do you really want to kill Katherine?"

"What?" He must have lost his mind. "I would never do such thing. I only entend to find her and bring her with me to Baluster."

He ponders my words, without commenting on them.

"You like her."

"Is it that obvious?"

He rests his arms on the table. "That girl is hard to convince. She is like a stone cage, only she stays inside and no one can enter." He raises an eyebrow. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"I just gave a good reason to!"

"Who are you?"

"I don't understand..."

"Who are you really?"

Who am I? I'm not following... Is it suppose to mean what am I to Katherine? I guess I'm her friend. Her long lost friend. We haven't talked or seen each other in years. How am I suppose to know what am I to her? Maybe I am just a past memory already lost in her mind.

"I don't know." I say, sounding defeated.

"Figure it out quickly." He stands up and opens the door. "Now, leave."

"You must me mocking me." I stand up, incredulous with him. "I need to knwo where she is, now!"

"Come back tomorrow." He orders, angrily.

I leave the shop, hating almost every second of our non-existing conversation. The morning sky is ready to explode with heavy rain as I walk away from the shop. Who am I to her? What a stupid question! Although I'm certain she must nurture hate for me. I still remember the day her letters stop coming. Two months later, she disappears. In these three years she never remembered me or gave me any sign she was alive. I just know for sure this outlaw the country talks constantly about is connected to her.

...

I close my rented room's door and climb down the stairs. Today I'm getting my answers before I leave Dawsun.

I find the inn keeper and pay her. The sun is still rising as I step outside. Enough games. That man will tell me about Katherine and where I can find her. I can't stay here for much long, searching for deadends. I left a month ago from Saldrian. The queen must be planning a searching party for me.

The town square is still waking up. I find the shop and the door is still closed and the wooden shutters prevent me from looking inside. I glance at every direction, searching for another door or street. There's an alley beside the second house on the left. I step into a clearing and try to find the shop. As I get closer, I hear a commontion coming from inside. I place my hand around the hilt of my sword and counting to three and taking a deep breath, I take out my sword and burst into the shop.

I suddenly stop, not believing my eyes.

A black almost coal shadow pins the shop man to a wall without ever touching him. The man notices me and tries to fight against the hold the shadow has on him. The shadow is focused on the man and so, quietly, I tread towards them. However, the shadow must sense my presence because without looking at me, my sword is out of my hands and I'm pushed against another wall. My head collides with something hard and it sends a strong pain through it.

"Leave, boy!"

I try to look at them and I make out the silhouette of a dagger.

"I enjoy having a crowd." The loud and harsh voice of the shadow echoes around the small room.

I stand up with difficulty, holding onto a wooden cabinet. I have to prevent that dagger from coming into contact with the man. He is the only chance I have of finding Katherine.

"Hey! Look at me!" I call the shadow.

The shadow finally looks at me and its burning red eyes and dark grin strike me like a slap. Without wasting time, I pick up my sword and charge towards him. It turn its whole body to me and the man falls down. I raise the sword and try to slash its body but it moves smoothly and my sword only cuts air.

"Pitiful." The shadow says. "I was enjoying this little fight."

I quickly turn my body to the left and hope to cut it again but the sword only slashes its arm. From the corner of my eye, I see the dagger hanging in the air and making its descend towards the man's stomach. I try to grab it but it's hopeless. The shadow laughs out loud.

"You can't kill me, Mr. Abernathy."

It disappears.

I return to reality and hear the painful moan the man releases. I kneel beside him and see the dagger on his stomach. His shirt is drenched in blood and there's a cut on his cheek.

"I have to remove the dagger." I say, grabbing it.

The man weakly puts his hand on mine and I look at him. "It's not worth."

"I have to."

"Why are you here?" He coughs a bit. "I told you to never come back. You are as stubborn as the girl."

"I want my answers." I say, pulling the dagger without waiting for his consent. He curses loudly and I stand quickly and search for a cloth.

"She left three days ago." He says as I apply pressure on the wound. "I told her to."

"Why?"

"I saw you on the square asking around for her. I thought you were the thief."

"Where did she go?"

"Possibly north."

"Alighter?"

"Perhaps." He winces when I press too hard. "I told her to never come back. I'm sure she will keep her promise."

"I doubt..."

He grabs my wrist with all of his strenght, easing the pressure on his wound. "Find her and take her somewhere safe. If you really like her, protect her."

"I will."

"Now, leave. There is nothing you can do."

"I can't leave you to die."

"Just leave at once!" He takes my hands off him.

"What am I suppose to say to her if she asks about you?" I pick up my sword and stand up.

"Tell her the truth."

I take one last look at the man and leave his house. I still feel the blood on my hands and indeed they have blood drops. Is this how murders feel? Their bodies covered in layers of invisible blood that grows thicker and thicker with each kill. People go on with their daily lives and I with mine. I leave Dawsun behind and take the main road. If the man is correct, Katherine must be in Alighter and I will get there by night fall.

I apologise for the killing. Also, you will see a connection between this chapter's first part and the previous chapter's second part. Next chapter we return to Katniss's point-of-view and we will find out what Gale wants. Favourite, follow and review. Thank you :)